Ultimate family tree: Tracing the oldest ancestor of all life
Somewhere on Earth, 4 billion years ago, matter came to life for
the first time. Clues to the identity of the original life form lurk
in every one of us
the first time. Clues to the identity of the original life form lurk
in every one of us
P. Rona/OAR/NURP/NOAA/SPL
In the beginning was Ida, the initial Darwinian ancestor – the first material on
Earth to transform from inert to, well, ert. Ida begat Luca, the last universal
common ancestor, and the molecule that gave rise to every kind of life on
Earth, from lowly bacteria to the giant panda.
Earth to transform from inert to, well, ert. Ida begat Luca, the last universal
common ancestor, and the molecule that gave rise to every kind of life on
Earth, from lowly bacteria to the giant panda.
But what were these molecules? How did they work?
We do know that Ida somehow popped into existence in a wet corner of our
planet around 4 billion years ago. It soon evolved the ability to store information
in the form of the genetic code, and so Luca was born./.../
planet around 4 billion years ago. It soon evolved the ability to store information
in the form of the genetic code, and so Luca was born./.../
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